Ukranian Folklore & Riddle Illustrations by Valentina Melnichenko

I promised to share these a while back and thought it about time I did, now that I've tracked down all of them (I think!). These are, as far as I can make out, from a book published in 1988 in the Ukraine, on folklore and riddles. (Valentina Melnichenko also illustrated the very "red" Little Red Riding Hood illustrations I shared HERE.)

I love these characters! And there are a couple of familiar looking ones in there too. The patterns are whimsical and fun but take a lot of skill to balance and still look carefree. Amazing work.

 

 
I regret I simply don't have the research time to hunt down where each illustration might be from tale-wise, but if you recognize any (or suspect a certain tale) please do share!

UNICEF is "Giving Tales" To Help Children Around the World (With Some Help From Celebrity Friends)

Hans Christian Andersen's stories are getting retold to help children, with a little help from UNICEF and their celebrity friends. The project is called GivingTales.

Have a look at the neat behind-the-scenes promo video:

From LookToTheStars (emphasis in bold and underlined, is mine):

Developed in association with Sir Roger Moore, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, GivingTales features the voice talents of world-renowned actors including Ewan McGregor, Unicef UK Ambassador, Stephen Fry, and Dame Joan Collins. Hans Christian Andersen’s timeless fairy tales have now been modernised, condensed and paired with vivid illustrations that capture the universal and timeless life lessons synonymous with Andersen’s stories.

“I’ve been a long time admirer of Hans Christian Andersen’s work, and I think it’s a wonderful collection of fairy stories for children and adults alike,” said Sir Roger Moore.

..Three additional stories are available in the first series: The Emperor’s New Clothes (Dame Joan Collins, DBE), The Little Match Girl (Ewan McGregor, OBE) and The Ugly Duckling (Stephen Fry). 

Today’s children are increasingly accustomed to consuming content in one short sitting. While paper books may be giving way to digital versions, classic fairy tales never grow old. There’s a big need to adapt traditional stories into shorter, animated versions, so they can captivate and inspire another generation of young readers.

“Taking care not to lose the essence of what makes Hans Christian Andersen’s stories so great, GivingTales has condensed the stories down so they can be enjoyed in minutes, not hours. Using the voices of renowned actors gives them new life in a memorable and entertaining way,” Jacob Moller, CEO of GivingTales. 

“We’re overwhelmed by the initial support we’ve received, both from the celebrities affiliated with our project, as well as our ongoing relationship with the Unicef UK. Together, we hope to make a difference in the lives of many of children around the world,” said Klaus Lovgreen, Chairman, GivingTales.

These newly retold and illustrated/animated stories have been developed by an award winning team that creates digital entertainment content, by making apps for Apple's App Store and GooglePlay. The first stories are becoming available this weekend (the first with Roger Moore as the narrator, retelling The Princess & the Pea, is free), with more stories and content to come in future weeks and months.

As part of the company’s mission to educate and support children, GivingTales kft is committing 30% of its revenue to Unicef UK to help children around the world.

Ask Baba Yaga: Can People Tell That I Am Unlovable?

The Tenement of Baba Yaga by Nicole Schulman

Today's question tugs at my heart-strings...

Here's the question and timely answer (via poet and oracle Taisia Kitaiskaia* of The Hairpin):

(Originally posted at The Hairpin HERE)

"The dirt on yr back & hands is not yours, and it will wash off... in yr bravery you will be seen & loved..." I have no words but "thank you Baba Yaga". (And yes, there's definitely something in my eye...)

What do you think of Baba Yaga's advice?

Want to ask Baba Yaga a question of your own?

You can!

There's now an email address where you can send your questions

directly to Baba Yaga herself.

AskBabaYaga AT gmail DOT com

To encourage Baba Yaga to continue imparting her no-bones-about-it wisdom (ok, there may be some gristle in there... bones too), I suggest we not to leave her box empty... 

Thank you Baba Yaga (& Taisia).

* Taisia Kitaiskaia is a poet, writer, and Michener Center for Writers fellow. Born in Russia and raised in America, she's had her poems and translations published in Narrative Magazine, Poetry International, and others.

"The Crane Wife" Comes To Life in "Tsuru" This Weekend Via Ballet, Storytelling & Textiles in Houston

I believe this is a first for a ballet, as I can't find reference to the Japanese fairy tale being re-created in this particular dance medium, but it's not just a performance either. This special fairy tale presentation by the Asia Society Texas, in collaboration with the Houston Ballet will take place alongside a textile exhibit and interactive presentation, as well as storytelling.

Tsuru, translated as The Crane Wife, is one of Japan's best known fairy tales and tells the story of a crane that CHOOSES to become a woman and be the wife of the man who releases her from a hunter's trap (or, alternately, removes an arrow and binds her wound, then sets her free). The tale (which you can read HERE) is rather tragic as, inevitably, a crane cannot remain married to a human, and as such, is perfect fodder for a classical ballet story.

The tale has been unforgettable for me ever since I first read it as a child; the transformations, the images of white, black and red, a wife's secret and the complications love and relationships bring, all so elegantly woven together. I love this fairy tale.

Official artwork for "Tsuru" with Asia Society Texas & Houston Ballet

I've put together some excerpts from articles listed as sources below, to piece together the overview for you and to highlight the emphasis on the tale, why it's so fascinating and why the multi-media format of this event reflects it as well:

Traditional drawing from The Crane Wife
artist unknown

It's easy to see why "The Crane Wife" would appeal to Kusuzaki (Houston Ballet soloist), who grew up in the classical ballet world. The tale is, in some ways, a reverse version of "Swan Lake." It's about a wounded bird who becomes a woman. 

A farmer finds the crane in his fields with an arrow through its body. He rescues it and sets it free, then returns home to find a lovely young woman waiting for him. They marry. To help him prosper, she hides behind a screen for days at a time, weaving gorgeous textiles for him to sell. He must promise not to peek. Of course he can't resist. When he discovers she has been reverting to bird form, plucking her feathers to create the fabric until she's ill, she flies away. 

Mariana Godet - Ballet and Origami

Tsuru no ongaeshi ii by lirael42

Kusuzaki has wanted to share the unique culture of Japan through dance ever since moving to Houston 11 years ago. "For me, the longer I live away from my home country of Japan, the more reverence I have—reverence toward tradition and innovation, transcendence and solidarity, and of understated, but, fierce, strength and integrity." All of them will be on display this weekend at Asia Society Texas. "[The ballet's] heroine lives a life of duality: a crane behind the screens and a woman in the public’s eyes," says soloist Kusuzaki, who will dance on pointe as the crane and on flat as the woman. "Many ballet heroines journey through these dualities and take on different forms, such as Maiden to Odette in Swan Lake, Giselle to Wilis in Giselle, and Temple Dancer to Shade in La Bayadere." There's a difference, though, as Kusuzaki points out: Tsuru has complete autonomy over her destiny. She is in complete control of her transformation and decides when she is crane and when she is woman. 

Kusuzaki said she initially focused on the themes of temptation and broken promises, but her collaborators saw the tale as a framework for reinterpretation. She said "Tsuru" offers a modern, layered take on the story. It's about a relationship between a man and a woman, not a fairy tale. 

...Not quite the traditional production Kusuzaki originally imagined, it's become something more, with a team of Japanese natives who, like her, built careers outside their country. "We have a different perspective from people who live in Japan," she said. 

The production blends contemporary choreography with theatrical movement and live music. Its set includes five panels and projected video.

I really wish I could go to this! I will have to watch for any reports and photos of the special event.

It's exactly the sort of collaborative storytelling experience that makes a big impression, even more-so today, in the era where so much information-overload is at our fingertips. To experience this 'live tale' can be life changing.

Here's the press copy for the overall event:

Storytelling traditions and the uses of textiles are varied throughout Asia. Our focus for the first Creation Station of 2015 will be The Crane Wife, known as Tsuru no Ongaeshi in Japanese, which recounts how the life of a broken-hearted man is transformed when he rescues an injured crane. We will create wing designs from yarn, bookmarks from cardboard looms, and felt pouches. We will also exhibit selected Asian textiles for visitors to learn about the myriad of styles across the continent. 

Interested in this program? Asia Society invites you to join us for a beautiful retelling of The Crane Wife folktale through music and movement in collaboration with Houston Ballet. 

---

Saturday, June 27 at 7:30. Sunday, June 28 at 2. $25–35. Asia Society Texas, 1370 Southmore Blvd. 713-496-9901. asiasociety.org

I wanted to add this quote as well because I think it sums it up very nicely:

(Artistic Director) Matthew Ozawa says the work has universal appeal. "We as humans relate easily to stories of myth, especially those deeply impacted by transformations and metamorphosis," he says. "They help uncover and reveal deep universal truths of who we are."

Tsunekazu The Grateful Crane - Gion Odori 2008

Sources: HERE, HERE & HERE

"Perraultimatum" (Happily Upon a Time #1): Review by Samantha Kyle

Artwork created for cover by Manuel Morgado (English cover with text avail to view smaller below)

" The Perraultimatum" (Happily Upon a Time #1) by Filipe Faria

Review by Samantha Kyle

Editor's Note: This novel was originally written and published in Portugal (by Editorial Presença), and is the author's first foray into translating his work and publishing for English readers. 

Jacket description: 

The stories are known by all: Glass slippers, poisoned apples, charming princes and bad wolves; and all know that, in the end, those who deserved it lived happily ever after... 

But then why haven’t they? How could everything have gone so terribly, horribly wrong? And why does everyone act as if nothing were the matter? Those are the questions that torment Ash, one of the few aware that something dire is afoot, and the only one willing to go in search of answers. Answers he shall find in the cryptic verses of the Perraultimatum, which will send him on a quest in search of the happy endings that never came to pass, hoping against hope that not all is lost to gloom and despair. 

Accompanied by four others who share his fate, if not his faith — the unpredictable Hood, the enigmatic Apprentice, the tormented Vasilisa and the dangerous Donkey-Suckle — Ash embarks on an unforgettable adventure in this first book of the fairy-tale dystopia "Happily Upon a Time".

The Perraultimatum takes classic fairy tale characters, has them ask big questions about how and why they got there, then shoves them head-first into challenging adventures in their search for answers. The journey starts out following individual characters—both the famous, like LRRH and Cinderella, as well as the lesser known, like the intriguing Donkey-Suckle—but then, in unpredictable ways, their paths coalesce in the woods. Before long, they are thrown together for an epic quest to rid the world of evils.

The book has a classic fairy tale setting where people get around on foot or horseback in a land full of cottages, kings, and castles. It becomes an interesting mash-up of tales, tropes, and premises. The object of the title itself, The Perraultimatum, is the source of cryptic clues for characters to decipher on their hazardous and intertwining journeys. Myth and magic play a prominent role as well, with magic keys, talking animals, mischievous spirits, and the classic fairy tale villain—the Evil Queen, not to mention a bonus bloodthirsty troll...

Speaking of bloodthirsty – there's quite a bit of gore staining these pages! The first chapter features a man getting his throat ripped out and it only gets more intense from there. A detailed  torture scene, bloody battles, troll rampages, disembowelments and dismemberments are just a sampling of what you’ll find. Walt Disney himself would have a hard time making a family friendly film from this story, so sensitive types may want to pass on this one. However, if violence in fairy tales is something you're okay with reading, you're in for quite a fun ride.

For me, the most interesting part of the book was seeing all the different fairy tale characters meshed together. Although this seems to be a common trope in retellings these days, with varying degrees of success, it works well here. My particular favorite character combination was Ash and Hood. Ash is quiet and contemplative while Hood is bold and unpredictable, mostly due to the fact that she can transform into a wolf. There are hints of romance between the two of them and, in this case, opposites attract. Ash is sometimes intimidated by Hood, not knowing what she’ll do next, which only adds to the romantic tension.

While I did enjoy The Perraultimatum overall, I felt the book’s pacing to be a bit uneven. There were great action packed moments that had me riveted to every word, but there were also some transitional scenes that I felt the urge to skim in order to return to the pulse-pounding action.

I would recommend this book to readers who have read and loved the traditional fairy tales of Perrault, Andersen, the Grimm brothers, and like their fairy tales dark and violent (but still with a traditional style). Since it is labeled as Book 1, we can presume this is only the beginning a much longer search and quest for that elusive - and ultimate - Happily Ever After.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Disclosure: A complimentary e-copy of was given to the reviewer in exchange for an honest review.

Samantha Kyle  is a passionate reader/book blogger whose favorite fairytale of all time is Beauty and the Beast, but she'll basically read anything that is put in front of her. She has a blog called Suicide by Books where she posts reviews, essays, and reading wishlists: http://suicidebybooks.blogspot.ca/

Sleeping Beauty as 'Sloth' & Cinderella as 'Jealousy' in the Windows of Paris

It's not the first time fairy tale characters have been used to portray the seven deadly sins but it is somewhat unique.

Paris currently has a window dressing competition among the shopkeepers, in which every window has to portray one of the Seven Deadly Sins. (I dearly wish I had images to share but I can't find any relevant ones sorry!) With the floor completely open for interpretation, it is interesting that two fairy tales in particular are featured (and making the most impact). I wonder if it's partly to do with French heritage of fairy tales in popular culture?

From The Guardian:

The most crowded street in Paris this week has been the Faubourg St Honoré, whose shopkeepers are holding a competition in window-dressing of which the theme must be one or more of the Seven Deadly Sins. ...The biggest success is a Sleeping Beauty (accompanied by sleeping king, queen, courtiers, scullions and guards), exemplifying Sloth, that occupies the whole shop-window of a dealer in curios. ... The best window of all is perhaps that of a shoe shop showing Cinderella’s abandoned shoe on the royal staircase, and the long rows of busts that flanked the august descent, pale, as Perrault declared them to be, with Jealousy of the beauty they had just seen pass them.

Note: for a great read about Perrault and Cinderella's slipper check out Tales of Faerie's recent fascinating post HERE, on The Significance of Shoes in Perrault's Time.

The main drawing of an art nouveau Sleeping Beauty as Sloth seen above, is part of a beautiful-looking series by illustrator Chris Hill. (I love his art nouveau character posters!) I've included the rest below for your convenience, and find it interesting that Cinderella is included in his series under the label of 'lust' (which, can be related to jealousy).

'The Little Mexmaid' by Cristina de Middel

As Mexican girls celebrate their coming of age at 15, when the Little Mermaid reaches this milestone she is officially be considered an adult and will be able to access the outside world of grown-up humans (Picture: Cristina de Middel/Nikon) 

Since we're (still) on the subject of The Little Mermaid, and specifically updating the classic story with modern and relevant-to-girls today themes, I thought this would be a good time to share a photo series I recently saw and bookmarked to share.

Nikon challenged three award wining photographers from different countries to update a classic fairy tale. The catch was they could only use four photos to do this and to tell a new version of the story. The stories chosen were Red Riding Hood, Snow White and The Little Mermaid. While the Red Riding Hood results were fun and had an interesting statement, (which you can see HERE) my favorite series by far was The Little Mermaid.

The photographer who chose The Little Mermaid was from Spain and on a recent trip to Mexico felt the fairy tale related very well to the coming of age traditions she saw being celebrated there. Cristina de Middel said she was inspired by the fiesta de quinceañera, or the introduction of a 'debutante' to the adult world, which is traditionally celebrated on the 15th birthday for girls, in Mexico.

Of her theme she said: ‘I saw first-hand the fascinating rites of passage in Mexico, and it reminded me instantly of the classic coming-of-age love story in The Little Mermaid.’

Middel titled her series The Little Mexmaid (which, incidentally, feels really weird to write. I presume Nikon wouldn't have published this title if there was an issue...). The first photo is at the head of the post, the rest are below and the photographer's captions are below each one:

Upon arrival in the human world, the Mermaid trades her fishtail for legs so she can experience what it feels like to be an adult woman. She goes to the Salon Los Angeles, a famous venue in Mexico City for ‘Sweet 15′ celebrations (Picture: Cristina de Middel/Nikon) 

The mermaid meets a Prince, who is a traditional Mexican Mariachi. The couple dance and she falls deeply in love with him. (Picture: Cristina de Middel/Nikon) 

Eventually rejected by the Prince for a Princess of the human world, the Little Mermaid sacrifices herself for love by exploding into fireworks. (Cristina de Middel/Nikon)

Here's the series altogether. Pretty poignant stuff:  

"Maleficent 2" Is Happening

A Maleficent re-design by Lee Kent

Yup. Not a typo. Disney have confirmed it and Linda Woolverton (who wrote Maleficent and is best known for Beauty & the Beast) is busy writing it. Other crew have already jumped on board too. Not Ms. Jolie though. She seems to be of the opinion they're done with the story, which I'm glad to hear, but they're forging ahead anyway.

-sigh-

Random thought: it would be REALLY INTERESTING if they decided to tackle the other, rarely told half of Sleeping Beauty with the ogre mother-in-law etc, wouldn't it? #notgoingtohappen

If you're truly interested in the Maleficent sequel movie news, you can read a bunch more about it HERE, which has links in the article for you to follow as well.

Sofia Coppola Quits Universal's Live Action "Little Mermaid"

I was so disappointed to hear this. I really thought there was a great chance of a unique and relevant modern retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid on the way (modern, at least with regard to issues and sensibility, if not setting, that is).

The report is that she exited due to "creative differences" which is such a vague term it could be almost anything, however, rumor has it, that things came to a head over casting the lead. With trans-model Andreja Pejic (formerly known as Andrej Pejic) already cast as one of the Mermaid's sisters, the film's direction, which already intended to follow Andersen's original story, promised to be both interesting and very "un-Disney". There has been no report of any change in Pejic's involvement (that is, she is still attached to the project), so things remain promising on this front.

The script is finished and remains intact, care of Caroline Thompson, (who penned Edward Scissorhands and The Corpse Bride among others), and reports are that the producers remain enthusiastic about Mermaid and keen to see this project come to the screen. With Coppola officially announcing her departure at the beginning of June, though, it's already been a few weeks and the film (at this writing) remains director-less.

From what I can glean in reports here and there, filming was supposed to start toward the end of 2015 so hopefully we'll hear more news on what's happening with the film soon.

By the way, I found this painting below available in various places as a print or wallpaper. It's occasionally titled Saving the Little Mermaid but, for some reason, doesn't credit the artist anywhere I could find (if you find out, please let me know and I'll update). I thought some mer-folk here might like it though, and it likely fits with the tone of the Universal movie as it currently stands...